Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Reduces Stake in Albemarle Corporation $ALB

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its stake by 36.1% in Q4, selling 39,192 shares and retaining 69,444 shares of Albemarle valued at about $9.83 million (0.06% ownership).
• Q4 results missed on EPS (EPS -$0.53 vs. -$0.40 expected) but beat revenue at $1.43 billion; analyst views are mixed with a consensus "Hold" and an average target near $177.48, while price targets range widely.
• Insider selling and heavy institutional ownership: CEO J. Kent Masters sold 11,783 shares (~8.05% of his holding) for ~$2.01 million, and institutional investors own about 92.87% of the stock.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its position in shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB - Free Report) by 36.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 69,444 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 39,192 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.06% of Albemarle worth $9,828,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle in the third quarter valued at $25,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV acquired a new position in shares of Albemarle during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. BOKF NA boosted its position in shares of Albemarle by 5,771.4% in the 3rd quarter. BOKF NA now owns 411 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its stake in Albemarle by 36.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 413 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Albemarle by 536.7% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. 92.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albemarle Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ALB opened at $188.10 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $176.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $149.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market cap of $22.18 billion, a PE ratio of -32.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.43. Albemarle Corporation has a 12 month low of $53.70 and a 12 month high of $215.71.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.53) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.40) by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.34 billion. Albemarle had a negative net margin of 10.74% and a positive return on equity of 0.41%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($1.09) EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Albemarle Corporation will post 8.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Albemarle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Albemarle's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -28.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on ALB shares. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Albemarle from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Albemarle from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $85.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Albemarle from $195.00 to $145.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Albemarle in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $153.00 target price on Albemarle in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $177.48.

Albemarle News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target to $245 and kept an Outperform rating, reinforcing upside potential from re-rating and fundamentals. RBC price target raise to $245
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded ALB to a Rank #2 (Buy), which can attract momentum and retail flows into the stock. Zacks upgrade to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: ALB has shown strong recent momentum (about +14% over one week), which supports continued buying interest from momentum investors. ALB up 13.89% in one week
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is broadly positive (many buy/outperform ratings and a median price target near $207), giving a constructive medium-term backdrop but mixed near-term signals. Analyst coverage and targets summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analysis vs. peers (e.g., SQM) highlights Albemarle's exposure to recovering lithium demand and capacity ramps; useful context but not an immediate catalyst. ALB vs SQM comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn downgraded Albemarle to Neutral from Buy, warning that improving spot lithium prices may not translate immediately into company margins — a key near-term headwind ahead of Q1 results. Redburn downgrade note
• Negative Sentiment: Market headlines report the stock slipping amid broader sector volatility and profit-taking; upcoming Q1 earnings (scheduled for after the close on May 6) raises the risk of positioning-driven swings. ALB sinks as market gains

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO J Kent Masters sold 11,783 shares of Albemarle stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total value of $2,012,654.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 134,628 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,995,808.68. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company's bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.

Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world's foremost chemical producers.

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